Police identify 2 found slain in South Shore alley

May 20, 2004

SOUTH SIDE — Two men found shot to death in an alley on the city's South Side were identified Wednesday.

Fatai Salawu, 35, of the 7400 block of South South Shore Drive, and Gregory Joseph, 29, of the 6600 block of South Stewart Avenue, were pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday night, a Cook County medical examiner's office spokesman said.

Police found Salawu and Joseph in the alley in the 1700 block of East 71st Place after receiving a call about a shooting around 7:55 p.m.

Salawu had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, while Joseph had been shot repeatedly, police spokeswoman Robin Mohr said. Shell casings from a .40-caliber handgun were found at the scene, police said.

Joseph's vehicle, a 1994 black four-door hatchback apparently taken from the scene, was recovered Wednesday morning a few blocks away, Calumet Area Sgt. James Baker said.

Police were treating the case as a double homicide and said no suspects were in custody.

"Everything's unknown," Baker said. "For all we know, it could be male, female, one, two, 10."